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How to Make a Stereo Guitar Sound Live

Back in the day, guitarists would plug an electric guitar into a tube amp and rock all night long. Now, with the advent of stereo delays and choruses, more guitarists are demanding the same sound on stage they're used to hearing in the recording studio. Session guitarist Randy Quan says he used a stereo rig when he backed up Booker T. Jones for the House of Blues tour, but he’s seen guitarists use stereo rigs even at the club level. One thing's for sure—live stereo sound does not come cheap. At the very least, you'll need two guitar amplifiers.

Things You'll Need

  • Two guitar amps
  • Mono-to-stereo output box
  • Guitar cables
  • Third guitar amp (optional)
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place two guitar amps on stage far enough away from each other to get the stereo effect. They don't have to be on either side of the stage, but they shouldn't be right next to each other, either.

    • 2

      For a simple setup, go into a mono-to-stereo box. Connect the stereo left output to one amp and the stereo right output to the other.

    • 3

      Instead of the mono-to-stereo box, consider an effects box for more colors. According to Quan, almost every multi-effects unit has stereo outputs, so from there you simply plug the left output into one amp and the right output into the other.

    • 4

      For an even more dramatic effect, you can run three amps on stage. Plug your guitar into the first amp and keep it dry (effects free) and center stage, then come out of that amp and go back into your stereo multi-effects box. From the multi-effects box, run one stereo output into an amp placed stage left and the other output into an amp placed stage right. Keep the effects on these two amps set to maximum, fully wet. Adjust the volumes of all three amps to taste. Quan says this setup is meant for high-end pros who have access to luxuries such as roadies.

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